A 14-year-old is behind bars after being accused of taking a Jackson Police Department car for a joyride.

The incident began Sunday when the runaway from a nearby children’s home walked a few miles to the Precinct 3 parking lot, where he found a police car with the keys inside.

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JPD Chief Lee Vance said the public is told not to leave running cars unattended, and that’s the case for officers, too.

“We want them locked and we want our vehicles put up and secure,” Vance said. “That has always been the case. We try to discourage officers from leaving those vehicles running.”

The teenager drove Unit 1566 out of the parking lot and went on a high-speed jaunt.

“From what I understand, he had been speeding back and forth in the area, driving at high rates of speed, playing on the radio. He wasn't being chased, he just lost control and drove it into a ditch, thank God,” Vance said.

When it was all said and done, the car had a shattered front end, scratches and broken parts that will cost thousands of dollars to repair. The young driver was unhurt and is now at the juvenile detention center. Charges are pending, Vance said.